ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) — To streamline patient care, nurses at Sentara RMH now use iPhone smartphones connected to the hospital’s record system.
The new phones serve the same function as bedside computers. The nurses and other medical staff at the hospital can communicate with people on any corner of the hospital, receiving real-time notifications to answer questions for patients. Alexis Jones, the clinical nurse leader at Sentara RMH, said the system still has “some kinks to take care of,” but hospital staff and patient reactions have been mostly positive.
”The clinicians have really enjoyed the real-time feedback, being able to document in real-time, get quicker answers from the M.D. or physicians, and I think the patients have appreciated the quicker response time from the nurses and the clinicians,” Jones said.
The phones are not equipped with social media apps or mobile games. Jones said many patients often confused the nurse’s intentions when using the phone. Patient feedback reports suggested nurses were “too busy” on their phones to administer care, but Jones said people often understood when the technology was explained to them. The hospital has also placed signage around the building to inform patients about the new phone system and clear up any confusion about it.
The iPhones are equipped with cameras that can help nurses and physicians send pictures across the hospital. This feature has only been used in wound care but Jones said it helps both the patient and the medical staff receive instantaneous updates about the condition of a cut or gash on someone’s body.
The phone is not owned by the nurse. The hospital owns the phone and hospital staff sign out the phone. It also includes HIPAA protections, ensuring the safeguarding of medical information and private data from unneeded observation.
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